RHYME AND REASON TO CELEBRATE

Posted by Hank Doll 
 
Report from Clivia Frieden, Rotary Club of  Orange.
The Rotary Club of Orange, NSW, in partnership with its community is revelling in the success of the 2016 Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival held in February.
 
Bush poetry enthusiasts gathered in Orange, the birthplace of Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson, to share in the comedy, wit, talent and celebration of good old Australian entertainment. Poets from across Australia and across the Tasman competed for prize money in the annual poetry competition thanks to local sponsorship from the Orange Regional Arts Foundation and Townsend’s Real Estate. The three judges were Australian Champion Bush Poetry Recitalists in their own right and were excited to see the high standard of the competition. We even had the Mayors of the Cities of Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo in a poetry recital challenge, which has proved to be a popular annual event.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poetry Competition winner Celia Kershaw.
Pictured above
 
The community of Orange was treated to a very entertaining banter between Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson in the Leviticus Bar and Grill at Heaven’s Gate as they reminisced over their rivalry in the media as pop artists of their time. Performed by Australian actors Warren Fahey ad Max Cullen, the show was a sell-out and was supported locally by sponsorship from Norman J Penhall Funerals of Orange. This is a show not be missed if “Dead Men Talking” comes to a venue near you.
 
The Festival also included a golf tournament with hickory sticks, a Family Market Day at Emmaville Cottage, the supposed birthplace of Banjo Paterson, family entertainment in the streets and parks, historical tours and Banjo birthday celebrations. There were plenty of opportunities for Rotary barbecues, and the Club racked up 400 rostered hours of service during the Festival week, let alone what went into the organisation over the past year!
 
Entertainers from western Queensland, “Mel and Susie on Tour” added a new dimension to this annual Festival with their Aussie humour, their involvement with school kids and their capacity to entertain all ages. The Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival is now securely fixed on the calendars of Orange residents and a new wave of visitors to the district. Put it in your diary for the weekend of 17 to 19 February 2017.